Sample a Taste of Arran in Glasgow – May 14/15th
Fingers crossed for a sunny weekend on 14-15th May when VisitArran will host an exciting weekend long celebration of all things Arran in Glasgow’s George Square.
Headlined as ‘The Cream of Arran’ the event will give visitors the chance sample the many fine foods produced on the Island of Arran and to watch top chefs cooking with Arran produce. As well as food and drink from Taste of Arran, visitors can enjoy music from some great island musicians or play a hole of golf on a simulator as well as relax with an Arran Aromatics massage or be in spired by an art exhibition featuring Arran based artists.
Companies being showcased at the event include Arran Dairies, Bellevue Cheese Company, Creelers of Arran, Arran Chocolate Factory, the Island Cheese Company, Robin’s Herbs & Vegetables and The Arran Brewery. (full details >>)
This event is being organised by Taste of Arran and VisitArran. It is supported by LEADER, Event Scotland, Scotland Food & Drink, North Ayrshire Council and Caledonian MacBrayne.
Taste of Arran believes the ability of businesses to work together towards economic growth is essential in fragile rural areas where the environment, local communities, agriculture and business are inextricably linked.
http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/
http://www.taste-of-arran.co.uk/aboutus.asp
Tobermory’s Award Winning Menu at 2010 Prices
Photos Courtesy of Scottish field
Good news in these difficult times – Highland Cottage, Tobermory’s award winning Small Hotel/Restaurant-with-Rooms is offering its famed 5-course menu at the same price as last year. This is the 14th season for the award-winning business which recently won the Classic Fine-dining Award in the 2011 Scottish Hotel Awards.
Those of you visiting Mull this year can enjoy the popular, tried and tested 5-course Menu at Highland Cottage offers at £47.50 including coffee and VAT.
With Croig Crab Cakes, Risotto of Locally Smoked Haddock and Inverlussa Smoked Mussels as sample starters and mains comprising Seared Tobermory Diver Scallops, Roast Monkfish, Pan-fried Aberdeen Angus Fillet or Roast Saddle of Ardnamurchan Venison there is good reason to seek out this highly recommended dining place.
(ED: Food critic Michael Winner enjoyed an overnight stay at Highland Cottage.)
It’s no surpirse that Highland Cottage has held the VisitScotland Gold award for 3 years now and is included in the 2011 Good Hotel Guide.
For reservations or further details call Jo or Dave on 01688 302030
Scotland Islands Whisky Tasting Tour – via Glasgow
FROM ORKNEY TO SKYE, MULL TO JURA TO ISLAY AND ARRAN
Enjoy a unique adventure into the flavours and spirits of the Scottish Islands. Soak up whiskies from Orkney to Skye, Mull to Jura to Islay and Arran at the Malmaison in Glasgow on April 14th at 7pm and see what Scotland’s Islands really have to offer.
To complement the experience there will be experts on hand, tutorials, gift bags and a prize raffle and, to compliment the spirits - a selection of innovative and traditional canapés
- Haggis croquettes with apple chutney
- Islands Cheese platter / Smoked haddock rarebit
- Chicken ‘Balmoral’
- Pan fried peppered beef onglet in whisky sauce
- Scottish Tablet
- Cranachan / Chocolate orange mousse
Glasgow’s Malmaison Hotel invites you to enjoy a Scottish Island Tasting Tour
Take a tour with Mal life = £25 per person (7pm Thursday April 14th)
Places limited and subject to availability. Must book in advance.
Tel: 0141 572 1022 to book or email: events.glasgow@malmaison.com
Trotters, Tripe & Testicles – Nose to Tail Cuisine
Top Chefs such as Scotland’s Michelin-starred Tom Kitchin, are leading the way in the promotion of ‘nose to tail’ cooking, encouraging consumers to minimise waste by using every part of an animal and experiment with new ingredients. The resurgence of interest in traditional, flavoursome food appears to be generating increased consumer enthusiasm about cooking with offal, with tripe, trotters and testicles back on the menu.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has teamed up with Tom to showcase how easy it is to make simple and delicious dishes using offal – the parts traditionally known as the “fifth quarter”. The best known offals include heart, liver and kidney but tongue, cheeks and sweetbreads also come into this category.
The opportunity to utilise less well known cuts and offal not only opens up new areas of culinary innovation and adventure but also assists with sustainability targets by reducing waste and increasing livestock profitability.
Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing at QMS says: “Many people don’t realise that using more unusual cuts of meat can be both cost effective and really delicious. If you buy Scotch Lamb or Scotch Beef you can be confident that every part of the animal has been raised to the same world leading assurance standards guaranteeing traceability and quality. Nose-to-tail cooking is an environmentally friendly approach to eating and can be tasty and nutritious. Offal is an important part of our culinary heritage and provides a very tasty source of iron, protein and vitamins at a time when we are all looking for ways to be more economical and less wasteful.”
Chef Tom Kitchin says; “Nose-to-tail cooking is something that I’m passionate about and I love experimenting with different and unusual cuts to maximise flavours. Although some people are not familiar with eating offal, I think it’s incredibly tasty when cooked correctly. I have certainly noticed that our diners at the restaurant have become more adventurous over the years and seem to show a greater interest in eating out of their comfort zone.”
Examples of Tom Kitchin’s recipes and other recipes featuring offal can be found at www.scotchbeefandlamb.com and www.speciallyselectedpork.co.uk
Highlands Chef gives Canada and US a Taste of Scotland
The head chef of The Three Chimneys at Colbost on Skye will promote Scottish food in Canada and the US during April as part of Scotland Week.
Inverness-born Michael Smith, head chef at of one of Scotland’s most celebrated restaurants, will highlight Scotland as a centre for culinary excellence during his trip across the Atlantic. Michael will showcase Scottish food and cuisive during ‘live’ demonstrations on US and Canadian TV including the world-famous Martha Stewart Show.
Michael will be at a private viewing of Whisky Galore in New York on April 7 and is also expected to cook for a number of private events for some of Canada and America’s most influential travel and business figures
Mr Smith is quoted as saying: “It is a huge honour to have such an opportunity to add to Scotland’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for fine dining. We have the best produce in the world bar none and it is right that we should shout about it. I’m delighted to be able to play my part.”
He said he was particularly proud to be the first chef from the Highland Region to have been asked by VisitScotland to take part in Scotland Week.
Jim Mather, Enterprise and Tourism Minister, who will also be in Toronto and New York this week, paid tribute to Mr Smith saying “He is a superb ambassador not only for Scottish cuisine but for the whole of the Scottish Food and Drinks industry.”
New York’s annual Tartan Day celebrations take place on April 6.
More Details:
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2208707?UserKey=#ixzz1IdHd5vWJ
http://www.threechimneys.co.uk/more-about-michael.php
Innovative Crinan – Seafood Bar & Art Gallery with Rooms
A shrewd analysis of market trends can often give entrepreneurs a head start when it comes to innovative ideas. At the Crinan Hotel some interesting developments are taking place which Nick and Frances Ryan hope will continue to maintain Crinan’s position as one of Argyll’s most interesting destinations.
In February the Crinan Seafood Bar was launched with great acclaim from foodies, critics and local diners. For many years Crinan as been synonymous with the freshest of seafoods and the new Seafood Bar sets out to relaunch Crinan’s reputation as one of the best places for seafood on Scotland’s west coast.
Reflecting Crinan’s pride in their fresh seafood the new menu includes Loch Crinan Seafood Stew, Pan Seared Loch Crinan Scallops, Steamed Loch Etive Mussels and Risotto of West Coast Crab.
Not content with launching a new seafood bar, Crinan have also started marketing the hotel as an ‘Art Gallery with Rooms’. Reflecting the success of the regular art exhibitions being held at Crinan, the hotel is being promoted as a Gallery venue with accommodation. Recent shows (and art sales) included Gordon Mitchell, Glen Scouller, Ross Ryan, and Frances Macdonald
In a market saturated with good 3 and 4 star hotels these changes could help consolidate Crinan’s reputation as a fascinating travel destination combining of Scotland’s finest contemporary art, the freshest of Scottish seafood, vibrant canal life, walks, wonderful landscapes …. as well a few delightful rooms with sea views.
Scotland’s Cheese Firms bid to protect names
Two Scottish cheese companies are attempting have protect their product names to prevent copycat brands profiting from their brand.
Orkney Island Cheddar and Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop have applied for Protected Food Name (PFN) status which gives legal protection against imitation throughout the EU.
If approved they would join the likes of Arbroath Smokies, Scottish Farmed Salmon an Orkney Beef and Lamb which are already protected names.
Environment Minister Richard Lochhead said that Scottish companies were losing out on lucrative overseas markets as a result of cheap copycat brands trading on the reputation of native establish brands and he urged businesses in Scotland to consider applying for PFN status.
He said: “Numerous products from different countries use Scotland’s good name to sell their wares, including smoked salmon and oats. Rather than allowing others to trade on our reputation with inferior quality produce we should be grasping these opportunities for ourselves and knocking the copycats off the shelves. While we support industry and continue to promote Scotland’s quality reputation, we are also determined to safeguard our produce at home. Gaining PFN status is one way of ensuring consumers know they are buying the genuine article and by adding another two fantastic products to that growing list will help safeguard our reputation for premier produce.”
Orkney Island Cheddar is produced using Orkney Isles milk and follows a traditional recipe and process. Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop is made from the milk of Ayrshire cows and produced in and around the traditional parish of Dunlop in Ayrshire.
A similar battle is being fought by the original producers of Stornoway Black Pudding who have seen their market being challenged by producers of ‘Stornoway Style’ Black Puddings.
NOTES: A good online supplier of Scottish cheeses can be found at:
www.scottishfood.com/c/scottish-cheese.html
Soupers Winning Soups
An excellent example of youthful innovation and entrepreneurship was showcased recently when pupils at the Gordon Schools in Huntley got the chance to show off their business skills in a competition run by Huntly Farmers’ Market for the Young Enterprise scheme.
The winning group of sixth year pupils (Rosie Pope, Olivia and Catherine Busson) formed a company called Souper. The business was producing and selling homemade soup at Huntly Farmers’ Market.
The prize included £100 start-up capital, donated by Huntly Farmers’ Market, business advice from retired businessman and market chairman, Richard Hammock and marketing advice from stall-holder Anna Wilson. The winners also received a free stall at the Farmers’ Market for three months.
Richard Hammock explains why Souper were real winners: “The winning group were asked to produce a business plan for an enterprise producing something they could sell at the market without competing with existing stall holders. Not an easy brief, but these three girls came up with an excellent plan”
The group were delighted with their win: Rosie Pope commented “It’s been a great opportunity to get involved in the competition and winning such a great prize. We’ve enjoyed creating the soups, although it’s been hard work, we are all really excited and looking forward to Saturday! To make a profit would be brilliant, but to be honest, the cover our costs and break even will be such an achievement”
On 2nd April Souper launched four varieties of their homemade soup – Bacon and Lentil, Carrot and Courgette, Cajun Spiced Butternut Squash and the most recent addition Curried Parsnip.
